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Sterling Hayden
1916-1986
Updated 3/28/2008.
biography
Born Sterling Walter in New Jersey in 1916, Sterling Hayden didn't harbor aspirations of being an actor. Rather, he was fascinated by sailing, so much so that in 1933, he left school for a life on the sea. By the early 1940s, the 6'5" Hayden had become a print model when he was discovered by Paramount Studios talent scouts and offered a contract.
Sterling Hayden, circa 1940s
Hayden's first film for the studio was the big-budget 1941 tearjerker Virginia starring British actress Madeleine Carroll. Hayden and Carroll fell in love on the set, and in early 1942, the couple married. Following their marriage, Hayden joined the Marines at the onset of the U.S. involvement in World War II, but the couple divorced in 1945. He had made only two films when the war interrupted his career and wouldn't appear in another film until the 1947 Anne Baxter vehicle Blaze of Noon. Still under contract to Paramount, Hayden's career didn't gain momentum until the 1949 film noir thriller Manhandled. He then spent much of his career in film noir and westerns.
the films of sterling hayden
Variety Girl (1949)
With fellow Paramount contract player Veronica Lake in a cameo from the 1947 comedy Variety Girl
Manhandled (1949)
With Dorothy Lamour in Manhandled
The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
Lobby cards from The Asphalt Jungle, one of Hayden's best films
Hellgate (1952)
Hayden with Joan Leslie in Hellgate
The Star (1952)
With Bette Davis in The Star
Take Me to Town (1953)
Images from the western comedy Take Me to Town. LEFT and CENTER A: With Ann Sheridan. CENTER B: With Philip Reed. CENTER C and RIGHT: Promotional photos
Johnny Guitar (1954)
Hayden as the title character in Nicholas Ray's cult film Johnny Guitar. LEFT and CENTER: With Joan Crawford. RIGHT: With Ben Cooper, Joan Crawford, and Scott Brady
Naked Alibi (1954)
From Naked Alibi. LEFT: With Gloria Grahame. CENTER: Hayden pursues suspected murderer Gene Barry. RIGHT: As police chief Joe Conroy
The Last Command (1955)
As Jim Bowie in The Last Command, one of Republic's last film releases
The Killing (1956)
LEFT: With Marie Windsor in The Killing. RIGHT: With Jay C. Flippen
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Captain Mandrake (Peter Sellers) comes to realize that General Jack D. Ripper (Hayden) is out of his mind
later years
After the release of Terror in a Texas Town in 1958, Sterling Hayden sailed away from Hollywood and his film career. By this time, his marriage to second wife Betty de Noon had ended. In the early 1960s, Hayden shied away from acting and published his autobiography, Wanderer, in 1963. Other than an appearance on CBS-TV's The DuPont Show of the Month in 1960, he would make no other big or small screen appearances until the 1964 Stanley Kubrick black comedy Dr. Strangelove. Following this film was another long period of absence, but Hayden worked regularly from 1969 through 1976, when he published his novel Voyage: A Novel of 1896. Afterward, his film appearances again became sporadic. His last feature film was the horror flick Venom (1982; with Klaus Kinski and Oliver Reed). Sterling Hayden passed away in 1986 from prostate cancer at the age of 70.
The Starlost: The Beginning VHS
Dylan, a young rebel from the rigid agrarian society of Cypress Corners, learns that his "world" is one part of a huge spaceship and tries to convince his people of the impending disaster. Sterling Hayden, Barry Morse guest star.
The Godfather DVD Collection [DVD] DVD
The perfect gift for members of your "family," this deluxe five-disc boxed set features Francis Ford Coppola's acclaimed trilogy--"The Godfather" (1972), "The Godfather, Part II" (1974) and "The Godfather, Part III" (1990)--plus over three hours of bonus materials. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; audio commentary by Coppola; "making of" documentary; additional scenes; cast rehearsals; featurette; storyboards; Corleone family tree; historical timeline; more.
The Asphalt Jungle [DVD](1950) DVD
A gang of small-time crooks plans and executes the "perfect crime" in this gritty, trend-setting drama co-written and directed by John Huston. Sterling Hayden, Sam Jaffe, Jean Hagen and (in one of her first major roles) Marilyn Monroe star. 112 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; audio commentary; interview excerpt; theatrical trailer.
Film Noir Classic Collection [DVD] DVD
Five-disc set includes "Murder, My Sweet," "The Set-Up," "Out of the Past," "Gun Crazy," and "The Asphalt Jungle."
Flat Top [DVD](1952) DVD
Set in 1944, this expert WWII saga stars Sterling Hayden as the tough commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Princeton. His no-nonsense style comes into conflict with new air group commander Richard Carlson. Featuring actual combat footage, the film also stars John Bromfield and William Phipps. 85 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
The Star [DVD](1952) DVD
Penetrating study of Hollywood starring Bette Davis as an aging actress who has problems with work, booze, family, and money, years after she won an Academy Award. After attempting to make a career comeback, she considers settling down with an admiring former actor (Sterling Hayden). Natalie Wood, Warner Anderson co-star. 90 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; featurette; theatrical trailer.
Legends Of The West, Vol. 2 [DVD] DVD
Twenty-nine classic Westerns are included in this eight-disc set that features eight volumes of "The Great American Western" series. Includes "Kansas Pacific," "Santa Fe Trail," "Vengeance Valley," "One-Eyed Jacks," "The Over-the-Hill Gang," "The Over-the-Hill Gang Rides Again," "The Deadly Companions," "Against a Crooked Sky," "Battles of Chief Pontiac," "Sitting Bull," "The Sundowners" (1950), "The Gatling Gun," "The Bushwhackers," "The Gun and the Pulpit," "Boot Hill," "My Outlaw Brother," "Little Moon and Jud McGraw," "Jory," "The Brothers O'Toole," "The Jackals," "Seven Alone," "Pioneer Woman," "The Proud Rebel," "Buckskin Frontier," "Fighting Caravans," "The Woman of the Town," "The Proud and the Damned," "Savage Guns," and "The Outlaw." Also includes the documentaries "The Great Indian Wars," "Gunfighters," and "The Old West Cowboy." 47 3/4 hrs. total.
Kansas Pacific [DVD](1953) DVD
Action-filled drama of the men who had to fight Nature, Indians and Confederate soldiers to finish the vital rail link during the Civil War. Frontier drama stars Sterling Hayden, Eve Miller, Barton MacLane. 73 min.
Crime Wave (1954)/Decoy [DVD](1946) DVD
A reformed ex-con is faced with being drawn back into his old life when his escaped former cellmate turns to him for help after a gas station robbery ends with a dead cop. Now, he's caught between a rock and a hard place when his buddy's partners try to strong arm him into a bank job and a detective wants to recruit him to help nab them. Sterling Hayden, Gene Nelson, Phyllis Kirk, and Charles Bronson (as Charles Buchinsky) star in "Crime Wave." Then, a gangster's girl (Jean Gillie) schemes to get her hands on her boyfriend's hidden loot by reviving him with a cyanide antidote after he's been executed in the gas chamber, in "Decoy." Edward Norris, Robert Armstrong, Herbert Rudley also star. Soundtrack: English; Subtitles: English (SDH), French.
Film Noir Classic Collection, Vol. 4 [DVD] DVD
Five-disc boxed set includes the double features "Act of Violence/Mystery Street," "Crime Wave/Decoy," "Illegal/The Big Steal," "They Live by Night/Side Street," and "Where Danger Lives/Tension."
Prince Valiant [DVD](1954) DVD
The comic strip hero comes alive. Robert Wagner plays the young prince with the wild bangs who falls for lovely Princess Aleta (Janet Leigh) while battling the evil Black Knight during the days of old Camelot. Thrilling, colorful tale co-starring James Mason, Debra Paget, and Sterling Hayden. 100 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo, Spanish Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish.
Suddenly [DVD](1954) DVD
In one of his best (and most unheralded) performances, Frank Sinatra plays a pro assassin who joins other killers in the small town of Suddenly, Ca., where he plans to murder the president of the United States. Sinatra and his associates pose as federal agents in order to take a family hostage and use their house as the base for their operations. With Sterling Hayden, James Gleason. 75 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby mono; biography; filmography; trivia; scene access. Plays All Regions.
Crime Of Passion [DVD](1957) DVD
Overambition leads to murder in this film noir spotlighting Barbara Stanwyck as a former newspaper columnist who uses seduction and deception to help policeman husband Sterling Hayden become a top cop. When a superior reneges on a promise to promote hubby, Stanwyck takes matters into her own hands. Fay Wray, Raymond Burr also star. 84 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
Cult Camp Classics, Vol. 3: Terrorized Travelers [DVD] DVD
Three-disc set includes "Zero Hour!" (1957), "Hot Rods to Hell" and "Skyjacked."
Zero Hour! [DVD](1957) DVD
Co-written by Arthur Hailey, this early disaster epic (which was the basis for 1980's "Airplane!") stars Dana Andrews as a former WII fighter pilot traumatized by his combat experiences. While traveling on a routine flight, he is forced to fly the plane when its entire crew is sickened with food poisoning. Can Andrews overcome his demons, repair his broken marriage and save the lives of his fellow passengers? With Linda Darnell, Sterling Hayden. 81 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), French; theatrical trailer.
Terror In A Texas Town [DVD](1958) DVD
Looking for a western where the hero dispatches the bad guy with a harpoon? This offbeat frontier thriller stars Sterling Hayden as a Swedish-born sailor who seeks revenge for his father's murder against crooked land baron Sebastian Cabot. With Ned Young, Carol Kelly; directed by Joseph H. Lewis. 80 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; theatrical trailer.
Dr. Strangelove: Or, How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb [DVD](1964) DVD
Director Stanley Kubrick's "Doomsday" comedy of the absurd about a paranoid, Commie-hating Air Force general (Sterling Hayden) who launches an air attack on the Soviet Union, with nuclear annihilation the final consequence, co-stars Peter Sellers in three roles, George C. Scott, Slim Pickens. Co-scripted by Kubrick, Terry Southern and Peter George from George's novel "Red Alert." 93 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby mono, French, Portuguese, Spanish; Subtitles: English, Chinese, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai; Kubrick featurette; "making of" documentary; production notes; photo gallery; biographies; trailers.
Loving [DVD](1970) DVD
With his marriage to Eva Marie Saint in rocky shape, commercial artist George Segal seeks solace in the arms of girlfriend Janis Young. But when she wants a more permanent relationship, he gets scared and falls into a state of depression. Things begin to look brighter for Segal when he's handed a big commission from tycoon Sterling Hayden, until he has a tryst with a neighbor's wife that's mistakenly broadcast on closed circuit TV...to his wife, his girlfriend and the woman's husband! Irvin Kershner ("The Empire Strikes Back") directs. 90 min. Widescreen.
The Godfather [DVD](1972) DVD
Mario Puzo's brutal novel of Mafia life was brilliantly brought to the screen by director Francis Ford Coppola in this landmark drama that redefined the gangster film genre and earned Academy Awards for Best Picture, Screenplay and an (unaccepted) Best Actor Oscar for Marlon Brando as aging mob boss Don Vito Corleone. James Caan, John Cazale, Al Pacino, and Robert Duvall co-star as Corleone's sons, who try to keep the family "business" going in the midst of a mob war; with Diane Keaton, Talia Shire. 175 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; audio commentary by Coppola.
The Long Goodbye [DVD](1973) DVD
Robert Altman's quirky, semi-satiric updating of Raymond Chandler stars Elliott Gould as laid-back gumshoe Philip Marlowe, investigating the murder of his friend's wife and getting involved with gangsters, alcoholic writers and deceptive women. With Sterling Hayden, Nina van Pallandt, Jim Bouton, Henry Gibson; look for a young Arnold Schwarzenegger. 113 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby mono, French mono; Subtitles: English, French, Spanish; featurettes; radio spots; trailer.
1900 [DVD](1976) DVD
Bernardo Bertolucci's sweeping epic follows the friendship of two men from opposing classes in early 20th-century Italy. Robert De Niro stars as a wealthy but weak-willed landowner who becomes a pawn of the fascists and Gerard Depardieu is a Marxist insurgent farm worker. With Burt Lancaster, Dominique Sanda, Donald Sutherland, Sterling Hayden, Stefania Sandrelli. Unrated version; 5 1/4 hrs. on two discs. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital stereo Surround, French Dolby Digital mono, Italian Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English; featurettes. Filmed in English.
King Of The Gypsies [DVD](1978) DVD
Fascinating essay on Gypsy society in modern America stars Eric Roberts as the unwilling heir to the leadership of a New York-based tribe. Reluctantly accepting the title passed down to him by his dying grandfather, Roberts finds himself locked in a battle of wills with his jealous father. Susan Sarandon, Judd Hirsch, Sterling Hayden, Brooke Shields, Shelley Winters also star. 112 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English.
Nine To Five (Widescreen Version) [DVD](1980) DVD
Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin are three overworked and underpaid secretaries who get their chance for revenge against chauvinistic boss Dabney Coleman in this comedic salute to all "pink collar" workers. 109 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English stereo, Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish; audio commentary by Fonda, Parton, Tomlin; featurettes; deleted scenes.
Winter Kills [DVD](1980) DVD
The brother of an assassinated U.S. president launches his own investigation into the killing and uncovers a bizarre string of conspiracies that leads to an unexpected end. Offbeat blend of political thriller and black comedy, based on Richard Condon's novel, stars Jeff Bridges, John Huston, Anthony Perkins, Belinda Bauer. 97 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; audio commentary; featurettes; interviews; photo gallery; poster gallery; theatrical trailer; more. Two-disc set.
Venom [DVD](1982) DVD
A sexy maid, a psychotic chauffeur and an international terrorist all play parts in kidnapping a young boy from his wealthy parents. But the tide turns against the criminal crew when a cop is killed and a Black Mamba snake gets loose in their hideout. Suspenseful and shock-filled slithery horror stars Nicol Williamson, Susan George, Oliver Reed, Klaus Kinski, Sarah Miles and Sterling Hayden. 92 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English DTS 6.1 ES, Dolby Digital 5.1 EX, Dolby Digital Surround stereo; audio commentary; theatrical trailer; TV spots; poster gallery; photo gallery; biographies.
The Blue And The Gray [DVD](1982) DVD
The war that shattered the nation is brought to the screen in grandiose fashion with a stellar cast and magnificent battle sequences. Gregory Peck, Geraldine Page, Stacy Keach and Colleen Dewhurst head a cast of thousands in this Civil War drama from historian Bruce Catton's novel. Original, complete version; 6 1/3 hrs. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Chinese, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai.
sterling hayden dvds available from amazon.com
filmography
Venom (1982) with Klaus Kinski and Oliver Reed
Gas (1981) with Susan Anspach and Howie Mandel
Nine to Five (1980) with Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, and Dolly Parton
The Outsider (1979) with Craig Wasson and Patricia Quinn
Winter Kills (1979) with Jeff Bridges and Anthony Perkins
King of the Gypsies (1978) with Shelley Winters
1900 (1976) with Robert De Niro
Spaghetti Western (1975) with Franco Nero, Martin Balsam, and Dick Butkus
Deadly Strangers (1974) with Hayley Mills
The Final Programme (1973) with Patrick Magee
The Long Goodbye (1973) with Elliott Gould and Warren Berlinger
The Big Departure (1972)
The Godfather (1972) with Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Richard Conte
Cobra (1971) with Senta Berger and Gordon Mitchell
Loving (1970) with George Segal and Eva Marie Saint
Jailbird (1969) with Susan Strasberg and Stuart Whitman
Hard Contract (1969) with James Coburn and Lee Remick
Carol for Another Christmas (1964) with Eva Marie Saint
Dr. Strangelove (1964) with Peter Sellers
Ten Days to Tulara (1958)
Terror in a Texas Town (1958) with Sebastian Cabot
Gun Battle at Monterey (1957) with Mary Beth Hughes and Lee Van Cleef
Zero Hour (1957) with Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, and John Ashley
The Iron Sheriff (1957) with Constance Ford and Kent Taylor
Valerie (1957) with Anita Ekberg
5 Steps to Danger (1957) with Ruth Roman, Werner Klemperer, and Jeanne Cooper
Crime of Passion (1957) with Barbara Stanwyck, Raymond Burr, Fay Wray, Virginia Grey, and Stuart Whitman
The Come-On (1956) with Anne Baxter, John Hoyt, and Jesse White
The Killing (1956) with Coleen Gray, Marie Windsor, Vince Edwards, Elisha Cook Jr., and Jay C. Flippen
The Eternal Sea (1955) with Alexis Smith, James Best, Virginia Grey, Ben Cooper, Morris Ankrum, and Willis Bouchey
The Last Command (1955) with Richard Carlson, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Ernest Borgnine, J. Carrol Naish, Ben Cooper, John Russell, Virginia Grey, and Jim Davis
Shotgun (1955) with Yvonne De Carlo and Zachary Scott
Timberjack (1955) with Vera Ralston and David Brian
Top Gun (1955) with Karin Booth and Rod Taylor
Battle Taxi (1955) with Marshall Thompson and Arthur Franz
Arrow In the Dust (1954) with Coleen Gray, Keith Larsen, and Lee Van Cleef
Naked Alibi (1954) with Gloria Grahame, Chuck Connors, Marcia Henderson, Gene Barry, and Max Showalter
Suddenly (1954) with Frank Sinatra and James Gleason
Prince Valiant (1954) with James Mason, Janet Leigh, Debra Paget, Robert Wagner, Brian Aherne, Tom Conway, and Neville Brand
Johnny Guitar (1954) with Joan Crawford, Scott Brady, and Mercedes McCambridge
Crime Wave (1954) with Phyllis Kirk, Gene Nelson, and Charles Bronson
Fighter Attack (1953) with J. Carrol Naish
So Big (1953) with Jane Wyman, Nancy Olsen, and Martha Hyer
Take Me to Town (1953) with Ann Sheridan
Kansas Pacific (1953) with Reed Hadley and Myron Healey
Denver and Rio Grande (1952) with Edmond O'Brien
Flat Top (1952) with Richard Carlson and John Bromfield
The Golden Hawk (1952) with Rhonda Fleming
Hellgate (1952) with James Arness
The Star (1952) with Bette Davis
Flaming Feather (1951) with Forrest Tucker, Richard Arlen, and Barbara Rush
Journey Into Light (1951) with Viveca Lindfors
The Asphalt Jungle (1950) with Jean Hagen, James Whitmore, and Marilyn Monroe
El Paso (1949) with John Payne and Gail Russell
Manhandled (1949) with Dorothy Lamour
Variety Girl (1947)
Blaze of Noon (1947) with Anne Baxter, William Holden, and Sonny Tufts
Virginia (1941) with Madeleine Carroll and Fred MacMurray
Bahama Passage (1941) with Madeleine Carroll
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This page premiered June 13, 2001.
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